Meaning and More
Which might be described as a 'cornucopia?'
A) A large ice cream.
B) Leftovers after a meal.
C) A tempting dessert.
D) A lavish buffet.
D) A lavish buffet.
A 'cornucopia' is an abundance of good things, whether food, entertainment, or other desirable items. It comes from the Larin 'cornu copia', or 'horn of plenty' - a mythical horn that provided whatever was desired.
Which is NOT an example of irony?
A) An accountant who can't add up.
B) A relationship counsellor going through a divorce.
C) A fireman who needs to be rescued from a tree.
D) A skinny sumo wrestler.
D) A skinny sumo wrestler.
This isn't ironic, they just wouldn't be very successful. The others are ironic because they are the opposite of what's expected.
Which dinosaur name has been given a phony translation?
A) Tyrannosaurus - Tyrant Lizard
B) Velociraptor - Quick Plunderer
C) Triceratops - Three-horned Face
D) Stegosaurus - Egg Stealer
D) Stegosaurus - Egg Stealer
The proper translation is 'Roofed Lizard.'
Dinosaur names are made from Greek or Latin root words, often describing a place, behavior, or physical characteristic.
Which of the following phrases is NOT an oxymoron?
A) Shimmering stillness
B) Dishonest truth
C) Silent shout
D) Impressive silence
D) Impressive silence
An oxymoron is a figure of speech which contradicts itself. 'Impressive silence' isn't an oxymoron; 'noisy silence' would be.
In Wordle, what color represents a correct letter but in the wrong location?
A) Green
B) Yellow
C) Purple
D) Gray
B) Yellow
Originally released in 2021, it was acquired by The New York Times in 2022 and even has a physical board game for 2-4 players.
If you've been 'defenestrated', what has happened to you?
A) You've had your trousers removed.
B) You've been thrown out a window.
C) You've lost your mind.
D) You've been robbed by a pickpocket.
B) You've been thrown out a window.
From 'fenestre', Old French for window. The term originated in Prague in 1618 when two imperial governors and their secretaries were thrown from the windows of Prague Castle, precipitating the Thirty Years' War.
Which is an example of a euphemism?
A) I love you to the moon and back.
B) The company was downsizing.
C) Cross my heart, hope to die.
D) He was literally walking on air.
B) "The company was downsizing" is a euphemism for redundancies. A euphemism replaces an unpleasant term with something that sounds softer or more acceptable.
Where does the phrase 'crocodile tears' originate?
A) A Native American fairy tale.
B) Slang for homemade gin.
C) Chinese Medicine.
D) Crocodiles cry when they eat.
D) Crocodiles cry when they eat.
The phrase means a fake display of emotion. Crocodiles do in face cry while eating; or, rather, they generate tears while they consume their meal out of water.
What does the internet slang 'ROFL' stand for?
A) Run Over Fried Llama (i.e. nonsense)
B) Rolling On Floor Laughing (i.e. hysterical)
C) Rude Obstinate Foolish Lamebrain (i.e. idiot)
D) Rung Out For Lateness (i.e. told off)
B) Rolling On Floor Laughing (i.e. hysterical)
Also LMAO, LMRO, LOL, and HA are all used for reacting to something hysterical.
How large is the grid of letters in the game dice-based word game 'Big Boggle'?
A) 4 x 4
B) 5 x 5
C) 7 x 7
D) 10 x 10
B) 5 x 5
The original Boggle grid was 4 x 4, and early versions of the game had a Q on the dice without the accompanying U, making Q words very difficult to form. Newer versions have 'Qu' on a single dice face.
What does 'nonchalant' mean?
A) Unfriendly
B) Unlikely
C) Unconcerned
D) Unaware
C) Unconcerned
Someone appearing 'nonchalant' seems calm, composed, and relaxed.
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Which is NOT an idiom?
A) A taste of your own medicine.
B) A wild goose chase.
C) One sandwich short of a picnic.
D) A ton of homework.
D) 'A ton of homework' is not an idiom, it's a hyperbole (an exaggerated statement not to be taken literally).
The others are idioms, common phrases whose meaning cannot be immediately determined from the literal words used.
Why is cinema referred to as 'the silverscreen'?
A) The metallic makeup used in early black and white films.
B) The silver paint used to make cinema screens reflective.
C) The Silver Screen Awards that predated the Oscars.
D) The silver nitrate process used in film development.
B) The silver paint used to make cinema screens reflective.
In the 1910s, screens were painted with a silver metallic paint to better reflect the films. The practice didn't continue for long, but the epithet remained.
What is the sign-language equivalent of a tongue-twister called?
A) A 'finger fumbler'
B) A 'hand hop'
C) A 'digit dance'
D) A 'sign stumper'
A) A 'finger fumbler'
'Good blood, bad blood' is an example of a great finger fumbler that is also a challenging tongue-twister.
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What was the original name of the game 'Scrabble'?
A) Criss-Cross Words
B) Lexico
C) Alphabet Soup
D) It's always been Scrabble
B) Lexico
Originally invented by architect Alfred Mosher Butts in 1931, then called "Criss-Cross Words" before becoming Scrabble in 1948.
Which is the odd one out?
A) Estranged
B) Alienated
C) Distanced
D) Placated
D) Placated
Meaning to make someone less hostile. The others are all synonyms for separation.
What is a mnemonic?
A) A linguistic device to aid memory.
B) A special type of poem.
C) A newly invented word.
D) A word formed from two separate words.
A) A linguistic device to aid memory.
A mnemonic uses letters or words as a way of remembering something. For example, "Never Eat Shredded Wheat' is one for remembering the four points of a compass (North, South, East, West).
'Karate' is from a Japanese word meaning what?
A) Deadly fist
B) Holy warrior
C) Empty hand
D) Rushing wind
C) Empty hand
'Karate' is a form of unarmed combat. The word comes from the Japanese 'kara' (empty) and 'te' (hand).
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What was the first Twitter message?
A) anyone there?
B) just setting up my twttr.
C) i got pizza.
D) tweetypie.
B) just setting up my twttr.
It was the first tweet by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey on March 21, 2006. 15 years later, the tweet was sold as a non-fungible token (NFT) for $2.9m.
Who created the popular word game 'Bananagrams?'
A) Nathan Abramson
B) Abraham Lincoln
C) Abraham Nathanson
D) Donkey Kong
C) Abraham Nathanson
Created in 2006, the game was conceived by Nathanson and his family as an anagram game that will drive you bananas."
A problem that is hard to solve is what?
A) Intransigent
B) Intractable
C) Intrusive
D) Introspective
B) Intractable
Meaning not easy to solve or control. As in, 'Funding public health has become an intractable problem.'
'Intransigent' means a stubborn refusal to change from one's point of view; 'intrusive' means intruding where one is not welcome; 'introspective' means given to examining one's mental and emotional state.
Which is NOT a hyperbole?
A) He'd been told a thousand times...
B) It was raining cats and dogs...
C) The chili made his mouth explode...
D) I could eat a horse...
B) It was raining cats and dogs...
This is not a hyperbole, it's an idiom. The other statements are hyperboles; exaggerated statements not to be taken literally.
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What is the origin of computers 'booting up'?
A) Early computers were stored in the 'boot room.'
B) Early computers needed a kick.
C) Early computers were 'bootstrapping'.
D) Early computers were said to be loading 'booty'.
C) Early computers were 'bootstrapping'.
'Bootstrapping' means lifting oneself by one's bootstraps, which was what a computer capable of loading its own software was said to be doing. It was then abbreviated to 'booting'.
What was the first emoticon symbol?
A) Surprised face :-o
B) Heart <3
C) Smiley face :-)
D) Happy ^_^
C) Smiley face :-)
Scott Fahlman of Carnegie Melon University is credited with originating the first (and second) emoticons: the smiley :-) and sad face :-( symbols. He emailed colleagues on September 19th 1982 to suggest these symbols be used to convey whether a post should be taken seriously or not.
What word-focused trivia game is this Jeopardy template based off of?
A) Trivial Pursuit - Dictionary Edition
B) Jeopardy - The Home Game
C) Super Wordle
D) League of the Lexicon
D) League of the Lexicon
Bearing the title of "the most backed word game in Kickstarter history," the game has also been praised in reviews from publications like The Wire, The Guardian, and The Wall Street Journal.
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